Getting Started With Rack Connect

This video shows you how to use the RackConnect interface to create a hybrid hosting solution by connecting your dedicated servers with the Cloud through MyRackspace.

We'll show you how to create a new account or link to an existing Rackspace Cloud account. Then learn about adding a Network Security Policy to regulate traffic between both environments.

The first step is to login to the MyRackspace portal with your account number, username, and password.

The MyRackspace portal is the only control panel to allow you to manage dedicated and cloud servers from a single interface.

Once you're logged into MyRackspace, click on the Products link from the top-navigation bar, and select Rackspace Cloud from the drop-down menu.

This takes you to the Cloud Accounts page where you'll see a list of all the Cloud Accounts that can be linked to your dedicated account."

To create a new Cloud account, click the Sign Up button from the options to the right of the Cloud Accounts list.

Choose your level of managed service, and Continue

Choose a unique username and password for the Cloud Account.

The Secret Question & Answer is a security measure used by Rackspace Support to authenticate you or verify your company's personnel, and you will be asked to provide the correct answer when calling.

Your contact information is carried over from your Dedicated account. If you want to set new contact information or a different billing department for the Cloud Services portion of your account, you can do that here.

Now that you've created a new Rackspace Cloud account, you need to link it to your dedicated account in MyRackspace.

Select Rackspace Cloud from the Products menu.

From the options to the right of the Cloud Accounts list, click the button to link your Cloud account.

In the Link Account window, enter the username and password for the Cloud account that you just created, and click Next Step.

Now find your Cloud account username from the list, and when you hover over it you will see the menu option under Account Actions that will allow you to Add to RackConnect.

In the new window titled: Associate Cloud Account to RackConnect, go ahead and select a configuration to associate with the Cloud account, keeping in mind that that your Cloud servers need to be in the same region as your configuration. Then press the button to Associate the Account.

In the Cloud Accounts list you see that the account's status changes to Enabled.

Now click on the RackConnect option from the menu bar.

This takes you to the RackConnect interface and shows the Cloud accounts linked to your configuration.

Hover over the account name to see the status of the link.

In the center pane, you see a list of the Next Steps, or pending administrative tasks needed for your RackConnected accounts.

The next step for this account indicated here is to setup a network policy. Without a network policy, no traffic will be allowed to flow between the two environments.

Click on your account from the list in order to see the Account Details.

At the top of the details screen you'll also see notifications for any pending tasks.

Now click on the Network Policies tab.

If no Network Policies are currently set up you will see another notification here.

There are two ways to add a Network Policy. Either by clicking the Add Policy button to create a custom policy, or by Applying a Network Policy Template.

A Basic Access Configuration template is already set up, and contains a description of the access it allows.

Click the button at the bottom to Apply the Policy Template.

When finished, you will see a confirmation that the policy template was successfully applied.

Now that access between your Cloud account and dedicated hosting configuration has been enabled with a Network Policy, you can add Cloud Servers to the account.

Click on the Servers link to see the list of Cloud Servers associated with the account.

Next, click on the Create New Server link from the options to the left of the server list.

When creating a new server, enter the Server Name, the Image (or base operating system to use for building the server), and also the Flavor class, which is determined by the amount of RAM selected.

You also have the option here for how to configure the disk, with Auto being the default option.

Finish creating the new server by pressing the button at the bottom.

Now your dedicated hosting account has been RackConnected to your Cloud account, and servers on both sides will be able to communicate and transfer data.

If you have any questions about linking dedicated and Cloud hosting together with RackConnect, our Fanatical Support Teams are standing by 24x7 to assist you with anything you need.